New Zealand were on the verge Saturday of a huge victory over Zimbabwe on the third day of the one-off Test after destroying the tourists for a record low 51 in their first innings.

Forced to bat again, Zimbabwe were immediately in serious trouble in their second innings and went to tea at 12-3, still 432 runs behind New Zealand's 495 for seven declared in Napier.

The Zimbabwe batsmen had no answer to the swing variations of New Zealand's four-pronged pace attack, backed by the subtle tweaking of Daniel Vettori.

Malcolm Waller contributed the bulk of the runs with 23 in the Zimbabwe first innings before he was caught at third slip by Dean Brownlie off Tim Southee.

Veteran paceman Chris Martin was New Zealand's chief destroyer taking two for five off six overs in Zimbabwe's first innings and dismissing all three wickets to fall so far in the tourists' second turn at bat.

Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Southee also took two wickets in the first innings and Vettori took one.

The 51 runs in 28.5 overs in Zimbabwe's first innings was their lowest Test innings total. Their previous lowest score was 54 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2005.

Brendon McCullum has taken over the New Zealand captaincy after Ross Taylor was ruled out of the rest of the series against Zimbabwe with a torn calf muscle.

Taylor posted his sixth Test century and was unbeaten on 122 before he was injured early on Friday shortly before rain brought the second day's play to an early end.